Which means before daylight saving ends at 3am Easter Sunday.
Echuca Fire Brigade captain Rob Amos said the CFA usually asked people to check their smoke alarm when they changed their clock at the end of daylight saving, but this year he urged people to take action before they hit the road this Easter long weekend.
“It is essential for families to conduct this life-saving check because only working smoke alarms save lives,” he said.
“Most fatal fires across Victoria in the last 10 years have started in either someone’s lounge room or bedroom and many start at night and the smell of smoke won’t wake you up.”
Mr Amos recommends smoke alarms are powered by a 10-year lithium battery and are interconnected — so when one of your smoke alarms activates, the others will too.
“Keep yourselves safe from fire as we move into cooler weather, especially when heaters and electric blankets bring an elevated risk of house fires,” he said.
It is equally important to test smoke alarms and clean them regularly.
“It’s no good having a smoke alarm installed if it isn’t working — a smoke alarm that is properly maintained can save your life if there is a fire,” he said.
“If you’re staying home this weekend, it will only take a few minutes to clean and then test your smoke alarm by pushing the test button. And if you’re travelling, make sure you do it before you leave.”
Regardless of the type of smoke alarm you have, it should be replaced every 10 years.
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